The Birmingham Genealogical Society was organized March 15, 1959. It was organized exclusively for educational and research purposes, and to foster preservation of genealogical and historical material. We are located in Jefferson County, Alabama, USA.

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A group of concerned community members and descendants/relatives of those buried in the Fraternal Cemetery in Pratt City have planned a 2nd clean-up day at the cemetery on March 23, 2013 beginning at 9am.

The Birmingham Genealogical Society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (ex. Nov. & Dec.) at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are always welcome!

Next meeting: Saturday, March 23rd at 2 p.m.;Board Meeting at 1:00 p.m.

Meeting Room: Arrington Auditorium, 4th Floor, Linn-Henley Building

Speaker: William “Bill” Clement

Program Topic: How to Research You American Revolutionary War Ancestor

Please join us as Bill Clement, current President of the Birmingham Chapter, Alabama Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (and BGS member) presents “How to Research Your American Revolutionary War Ancestor.” Bill is a graduate of the Marion Military Institute, Marion, AL and received a BS in Industrial Management from Clemson University and a Masters in Business from the University of South Carolina. Finding and documenting a Revolutionary War patriot ancestor for membership eligibility in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) or the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is not as difficult as many people believe. This program will benefit those seeking to join the DAR or SAR. Hope to see you at the meeting!

From our Friends in the Southern History Department of the Birmingham Public Library:

Beyond the Basics of Genealogy
Workshop Series at the Birmingham Public Library

Beyond the Basics of Genealogy (BtB) workshops, a series of classes
covering various topics on genealogical research will be conducted in the
Birmingham Public Library (BPL) beginning in April 2013. Workshops will
run from one to two hours, and be conducted by members of the Southern
History Department staff.

Participants will gain in-depth knowledge on specialized areas of
researching genealogy. The BtB classes are designed to expand on
information provided in the “Introduction to Genealogy” classes, which are
offered throughout the year by the Southern History Department.
Registration is limited to the first 18 respondents. Classes will be held
at 10:00 a.m. in the Board Room of the Central Library.

The subjects being taught and dates are as follows:
• What’s Up Doc?: Government Documents in Genealogical Research –
Saturday, April 13th

• The Bases Are Loaded: BPL’s Catalog, Worldcat, and Other Databases –
Saturday, May 18th

• Loving the LDS: An In-Depth Guide to Using Familysearch.org – Saturday,
June 15th

• Getting the Good Dirt: Using Land Records in Genealogical Research –
Saturday, July 27th

• Bring Out Your Dead: Cemeteries in Genealogical Research – Saturday,
August 17th

Registration for the workshop costs $5.00, which includes the class
handout. To register, contact the Southern History Department of the
Birmingham Public Library at 205-226-3665 or askgenlocal.
Seating is limited to the first 18 to register.

From our friends at the Birmingham African American Genealogy Study Group:

Please join us on Saturday, February 9th for a presentation titled, “Know Who You Are Through DNA” featuring the renowned DNA scientist Dr. Rick Kittles. Dr. Kittles has appeared on the PBS series ‘African American Lives’ and ‘Finding Your Roots’. He is the co-founder of African Ancestry.com (http//www.africanancestry.com) and is the leading scientist in the development of the DNA database which connects us to our African tribal roots.

Please support this special event and bring a friend. The event will take place this Saturday at the Rosa Parks Museum Auditorium, 252 Montgomery Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Bill Foster 334-322-0824 (Montgomery) or Josephine Martin (Birmingham) 205 901-6387

Hosted by AAGS and the Birmingham African American Genealogy Study Group.

A group of concerned community members and descendants/relatives of those buried in the Fraternal Cemetery in Pratt City have planned an assessment and clean-up day at the cemetery on February 9, 2013 beginning at 10am.

Tomorrow night, January 8, Alabama Public Television will air programming for us history buffs.

First up at 7pm CST is the History Detectives. Click here for information on tomorrow night’s show.

At 8pm, APT kicks off a 3 part series, The Abolitionists: American Experience. The series tells the stories of Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Angelina Grimké, Harriet Beecher Stowe and John Brown. Click here for more information on this series.

The Birmingham Genealogical Society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (ex. Nov. & Dec.) at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are always welcome!

Next meeting: Saturday, January 26 at 2 p.m.;Board Meeting at 1:00 p.m.

Meeting Room: Arrington Auditorium, 4th Floor, Linn-Henley Building

Speaker: Jim Baggett, Birmingham Public Library Archives Dept. Head

Program Topic: Mundane and Macabre, 19th Century Letters and Diaries

From matters of love, death and politics to the price of shoes, nineteenth century Alabamaians recorded their experiences in letters and diaries. This talk explores life in the 1800s through personal writings now preserved in the Birmingham Public Library Archives.

Jim Baggett is Head of the Department of Archives and Manuscripts at the Birmingham Public Library and Archivist for the City of Birmingham. He has served as president of the Society of Alabama Archivists and Chair of the Jefferson County Historical Commission. Jim has lectured throughout the U.S. and Europe and has been featured on Alabama Public Television, National Public Radio and CSPAN. He has authored or edited five books on Birmingham and Alabama history, including A Woman of the Town: Louise Wooster, Birmingham’s Magdalen and Alabama Illustrated: Engravings from 19th Century Newspapers. Jim has written more than fifty articles on archival preservation and Alabama history for Alabama Librarian magazine, Alabama Heritage, Birmingham magazine and other publications.